Actions Speak Louder Than Words
by SwiftShadow
Summary: Kassiani Ashkavel is just an ordinary girl from a poor village in the Pelagirs... or so every around her thinks. When a big white horse come knocking on her door, her life gets turned upside down. Rated for Safety. ! She got a wonderful Beta!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, I have a sad truth to tell anyone who is reading this that has also read my other story, 'Harry Potter and the Companions of Lore'. I've hit writers block. BAD writers block. So, that one won't be updated until further notice. I thought of this one last night though... I think it has potential, and best of all, it is a pure Mercedes Lackey fic. No cross-overs for me this time. So, please review if you read this. I would really appreciate it. (I've made slight changes to this chapter after someone pointed out a plot-hole to me. Nothing big though.)

* * *

Kas stared around the small clearing dejectedly. The area in the circle of pine trees was littered with arrows. Both the large trees and the moss-covered ground were scattered with them. However, there was one spot that was noticeably empty of arrows and arrow-marks; a single tree across the clearing from where Kas stood. The 2 foot wide circle of paint on the large tree taunted the eleven-year-old, remaining untouched by all the arrows. Kas sighed despairingly. The girl walked from her position at one end of the clearing and resolutely began to pick up her arrows. The oaken bow she had been using lay cushioned on a bed of moss. Every so often, Kas would turn to look at the circle and glare at it. If looks were arrows, it would have resembled a pincushion. 

Kas turned back to the bow, unstringing it with care. After she had finished that, she placed her arrows back in her quiver one-by-one, watching how the fletching fell against each other. That task done, the girl slunk away into the forest, not a whisper betraying her passing. Kas arrived in a small circle of huts. Slipping into one of the larger ones, she walked up to the dark-haired woman who inhabited it. She approached the kitchen-like room and spoke quietly to the woman for several seconds. After a quick embrace, Kas padded over to a ladder placed on the wall. Scurrying up it like a squirrel, she slithered into the 4 foot tall space. She crawled over to the pile of blankets and fell asleep.

Kassiani Ashkavel. To the people of her "village", if you could call it that, she was a quiet young girl. Fairly tall for her 11 years, her only real skills were her astounding tracking ability, her enormous amount to natural stealth, and her riding skill. Any one of the village's three horses would calm under her hand, including the youngest, a fiery roan mare, which the trainers were still breaking to saddle. She could sneak up behind anyone unsuspected, and could track anything. To her two brothers, however, she was plain Kas, the girl they were unfortunately related to, who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with an arrow even if she was 2 inches from it. The villagers saw the black-haired girl as an asset, however strange she was. Her brothers saw her as an embarrassment. Her strange eyes made relations between them worse, and coupled with her lack of archery skill, well, let's not even go there. Kas' left eye was a normal, if a bit striking, midnight blue. Her right eye, however, was like molten silver, pure and untainted.

The sun rose early the next day, and with is rose Kas. It was with a resolute heart that she took one of the three village horses out for a gallop. It was the younger of the two saddle-broken equines. A large bay, the stallion was spirited. Kas let him have his head as they flew through the forest. More than an hour passed before they neared the edge of the territory Kas was familiar with. Gently, Kas turned the stallion's head toward territory she knew. Many thoughts ran through her head as she guided the horse back to the stable. Most prominent was the thought of what she wanted to be. 'I can't be a Bard,' she thought. 'I don't have the Gift or any musical talent. I **don't** want to be a healer either… I doubt I have that gift though. Herald is out of the question. I mean, what Companion is going to choose Kassiani Ashkavel, who can't even get her brothers to respect her and who can't shoot a bow for her life!'

'A week,' Kas thought. 'I've been trying every day for a week, and I still can't even get near the stupid target! What am I doing wrong? I'm never going to get any job that has to do with fighting… let alone one that I would get to ride in!' The moss below her feet cushioned the bow as Kas threw it to the ground in frustration. She stalked off into the forest, almost walking over a cliff due to the fact that she was absorbed in her thoughts. She plopped down on the edge of the cliff, dangling her legs over the 60 foot drop. The sunset threw deep colors across the sky, a myriad of golds, reds, and purples.

An hour later, after watching the sun slink to its resting place, she picked herself up off the ground and wandered through the woods back to her house. Without a word to anyone, she climbed up the ladder to her loft and went to sleep.

The next morning, Kas climbed down after a restful night's sleep to see the disgruntled faces of her two brothers.

"Kassiani," her mother asked, "would you go and help your brothers gather some mushrooms? Thank you." Kas nodded her head to her mother and silently followed her brothers out the door.

Kas glanced around as the three picked mushrooms. She spotted another, smaller, mushroom patch a ways away, and walked over to it with her basket, happy to move away from her brothers. As she settled herself to pick some mushrooms, a wave of disorientation passed over her, leaving her unsteady. As she reached out to grab the nearest tree, she looked around. She had seen _something_, that much she knew. But nothing around her looked out of place. It was a normal peaceful day in the Pelagirs. About 30 seconds after the first wave of disorientation hit her, another came. With it was a vision that passed too quickly for her to see what it was, but slowly enough for her to know it was a vision. Waiting for about another half a minute, she was rewarded with another vision. This time she saw it. A wild boar, charging through the underbrush. Somehow, without a doubt, she knew right where it was headed. For her brothers. Paralyzed with fear for their lives, all she could do was mentally scream 'MOVE' as she watched the boar move swiftly, still locked in her vision. Her brothers started, and then looked around. Seeing her glassy-eyed state, they grabbed their mushroom baskets and ran to her side. Still hearing that strange voice talking in their heads, they grabbed her basket as well and, one having Kas on his back, ran toward the hut. When they charged into the house, their mother looked startled.

"What happened?" she exclaimed.

"Something startled us and we looked over and saw Kas like this. So we brought her home. We're going to head back out now, alright?"

"That's fi-"

:NO!: shouted Kas, sitting bolt upright. She nearly fell back over again from the dizziness that over took her, but she fought to stay upright. :There… There was… There was a boar out there.:

Her brothers looked at each other in confusion. "No there wasn't. We would've heard it."

:Trust me… for once, please trust me. I saw it… I don't know how, but I did. Please believe me!: Kas all but begged her brothers, not knowing she was using mindspeech.

One looked at the other, then both shrugged. "Fine by me… We'll go and finish that chair that we were working on."

Kas heaved a sigh of relief when they agreed to not to back to the forest. She then promptly passed out form mental exhaustion.

It was 3 days later when Kas blearily opened her eyes to see some fuzzy blobs of color standing above her. Startled, she thought 'What is that' and suddenly, she wasn't seeing fuzzy blobs anymore… she was seeing her mother and the 'village doctor' standing over her. She wasn't seeing it from her own eyes though… she was seeing herself! With a jolt, she 'threw' herself back into her body and passed out again.

"I don't understand it… Every time she wakes, she experiences some sort of mental trauma, and she passes out again… If this keeps up, I don't know what will happen to her," the doctor regretfully informed Kas' mother.

As the woman opened her mouth to respond, a whicker interrupted her. Both the mother of three and the doctor ran out of the room they were in to find a white horse knocking impatiently on the door with a hoof. Too shocked to do anything but what was obviously expected of her, Kas' mother opened the door. The horse gave her a look of what could only be gratitude and walked over to the room where the unconscious girl lay on the pile of cushions. The stallion nudged her shoulder and the glazed eyes opened as they always would when she was nudged. Only this time, when Kas was shocked out of herself and saw the room from above, she didn't pass out. Before she could, endless sapphire filled her vision and she heard a voice speaking to her mind, heart, and soul.

:You need not fear yourself any longer Chosen. I am here. My name is Raihadenereth, and you are my Chosen.:

Kas shakily lifted up a hand, to the shock of the two spectators, and softly petted the glowing white head. "Rai…" she whispered, the loudest she had ever spoken to anyone. Rai nickered, and said softly :Sleep, little one.: So she did.

* * *

A/N: So, that's it for the first chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it, I'm trying really hard not to 'Mary-Sue' Kas. As a point, if you are even interested, Rai's name is pronounced 'Rai-ha-den-er-eth' with the stress on the 'er'. Thanks for reading. I would also appreciate it if you would take the time to review. Also, if you think my grammer, spelling, or sense of a plot-line are really bad, you could voluenteer to be my beta... but if no one cares, then I'll just go through this again at some point and revise. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well, here is chapter two! I would like to give a special thank you to **GinaStar** and **ginalee**, my first two reviewers! I really appreciate you taking the time to review. Out of the 66 hits I got, I only got those 2 reviews. Please enjoy, and I would appreciate it if you would review. Thanks!

* * *

_Previously:_

_Kas shakily lifted up a hand, to the shock of the two spectators, and softly petted the glowing white head. "Rai…" she whispered, the loudest she had ever spoken to anyone. Rai nickered, and said softly :Sleep, little one.: So she did._

**Chapter 2...**

At Rai's insistence that they head out as soon as possible, Kas' mother packed up enough things for a week, including a spare pair of booths and an extra blanket. Once everything was balanced and Rai was ready, they left Kas' home town… and everything that she knew.

Once on the road, Kas fell into the familiar rhythm of riding. Trying to recall maps from lessons she half-remembered, Kas wondered where they were going to stay that night. A voice entered her head.

:We'll be staying at a Waystation tonight, Chosen. In fact, we'll be staying in waystation till we reach Haven. Don't worry, they're quite comfortable:

Rai sensed her reluctance to talk. :If you don't wish to speak, you can use MindSpeech. Just form the thought and send it to me. I think you'll be able to pick it up quickly.:

:Like this?...: came the soft, weak Mindvoice.

:Yes, although a little louder might be nice. You're good at it though… Usually new mindspeakers give people headaches with their shouts.: Rai stated, pride showing through his thoughts.

:Mother says I've always been quiet… Although I think that's only since-: came the still soft but slightly stronger reply.

:Being quiet isn't a bad thing, Chosen.: Rai reassured her. :It means that you've learned how to be unnoticed and observe. Many of the trainees need to learn that. They do… it just takes a lot of time and effort on their part. But only since what?:

:It's… it's nothing Rai.:

:If you say so…: Those thoughts were heavy on Kas' mind as they rode on through the wilderness.

As the sky began to darken, Rai bespoke Kas once more. :We're coming up to the Waystation. There is a well there that you can use to get water. The bucket is just inside the door. Some oats are in one of the cabinets, oiling cloths for the tack are next to the door along with a currycomb. Some wash towels are on one of the shelves near the hearth along with a wash basin. A pot should be on the ground near the fireplace. A teakettle is on the shelf with the towels if I recall correctly, and there are tea bags in the cabinet with the grain. There is some honey there too, if you want any…:

Kas said nothing in reply, but as soon as they got to the Waystation, she dismounted. She treaded softly over to the building and walked inside. She grabbed the bucket that Rai had said would be there, along with the currycomb and the oiling cloths. Kas walked back outside to where Rai was standing patiently. After setting her burden down on the ground, she quickly stripped the stallion of tack. While he rolled around in the grass, she brought the bucket over to the well and began to haul up water. The first 2 buckets went into the water trough. The third went right into the pot next to the hearth. The fourth and last bucket of water she left in the bucket, sitting next to the pot. After that chore was done, Kas padded back outside. Picking up the currycomb, she walked over to where Rai was leisurely drinking. As she began to brush her Companion, he leant into the strokes, clearly enjoying it. The stallion seemed to sag in contentment as Kas' practiced arm brushed his back. Far too quickly for both equine and trainee, Kas was finished. She went to gather firewood from the woods, not wanting to use the Waystation's supply if she could avoid it. She searched for deadfall, occasionally having to leave a piece because she didn't have an axe. When she had collected enough for the night, she began to lug it back to the Waystation.

When she finally got it all back, she began the laborious task of building a fire. After more than 20 attempts, she got a spark to catch and she gently coaxed it from a tiny flame into a cheerfully roaring fire. The first thing to go on the fire was the pot of water. As that heated, she poured the water left in the bucket into the teakettle and got out some tea. By the time she was done, the water in the pot was warm, so she took the pot off the fire and poured the water into the wash basin from the shelf. The teakettle went on the fire next. It heated up as she washed up from her long ride. After waiting for the water to heat up, Kas looked for a cup. Finding one on one of the shelves, she put some tea leaves in it and poured water in to steep. After nursing a cup of tea for a while, she pulled out her bedroll and climbed in. As she lay there staring up at the ceiling, she wondered why _she'd_ been Chosen. After all, there were people in the village that were surely much better Heralds than she would be! Unless her skill with a bow dramatically increased, she'd be the laughing stock of the Collegium in days. Rai interrupted her thoughts.

:Chosen, you are the only one I would ever Choose. I wouldn't even Choose Queen Tara over you. She's much too _royal_ for my tastes.: Rai said teasingly. :Sometimes, to tell you the truth, I wonder how in Velgarth Sofia puts up with her!: That last comment sent Kas into a fit of silent giggles. Rai's next words were spoken with trepidation. :Chosen… why don't you talk or make noise a lot? I don't mean to pry… but…:

:But what?: Kas replied scathingly. A moment later her expression softened a little bit. :I'm sorry Rai… it's a touchy subject for me… You saw how my mother was shocked when I said you name… That was the first word I'd spoken in about a year.:

Rai seemed speechless for a moment. :I'm… For what it's worth, Chosen… Kas, I'm sorry.:

Kas smiled a bit. :To me, it's worth more than you think, Rai. G'Night.:

:Good Night, Chosen.: With that, Kas fell into a deep slumber, remembering a time from the past… when her father was still alive.

……_Flashback……_

"Kassi!" a male voice called. "Come and greet your papa!"

"Daddy!" Kassi cried, running up to him. She hugged him tightly as he lifted her up and twirled her around. "Can we go ride Smoke Daddy? Please? Pretty please?"

Her father lifted up his hands in surrender after setting down the four-year-old bundle of energy formally known as Kassiani. "Alright, Kassi, we can go ride Smoke… provided Smoke will let us, that is." He shared a wink with her, as he knew the light silver horse loved his daughter immensely. He scooped her up and carried her out the door to the small stable that housed the four horses that lived in the village. Smoke looked up when they entered and greeted them with a joyful neigh. The man set Kassi down and grabbed the gelding's tack. As soon as the horse was ready, the pair was in the saddle and riding off into the forest.

……_End Flashback……_

Kas awoke like she usually did, with no real grogginess. She remembered that day clearly. Her father had left the next day to go to the next town over to spend some of their hard-earned coin on some much needed supplies. He'd taken Smoke, and was only supposed to be gone a week. When he was 2 days overdue, Kas' mother asked her and her two brothers, who were 6 at the time, to go and look for him. She impressed upon them the fact that they were not to go outside of territory that they knew. So off they had gone, branching out in the general direction of the town. It had been little 4-year-old Kassi who had come upon his broken body. Bandits had attacked him on his way to the town and had brutally searched him. Blood surrounded him and Smoke lay off to the side, dead as well. All the coin he had brought with him was gone. So was everything else. Including his wedding ring. Kassi had stood in shock at the scene for what seemed like hours to her. Disconcerted by the lack of sound coming from the area, her mother came looking for her and found her standing there in shock. Since that day, she had become an almost silent wraith, a shadow of her former self. As she drifted back off to sleep, she wondered how much that would change… and how much she would stay the same.

A nudge to her shoulder had Kas sitting bolt upright, slamming her head into the velvet nose of her Companion. She gave a small cry of pain, one of the few sounds she'd made in the past year. Rain looked apologetic—Well, about as apologetic as a white, blue-eyed horse can look. :Sorry Chosen, but we need to get moving.:

She took one hand away from her face and laid it on Rai's nose. :It's okay, Rai, really. I've had worse.: She reassured her friend with a wink. She made a compress of clean rags and cold water from the well and put it up to her face. :I think I'll have a rather impressive black eye, however.: She murmured in the back of her head.

Rai looked at hear with a seemingly practiced eye. :I think you might be lucky. You'll get two.: he said with a serious tone. They both held straight faces for a second. That was all they could manage. Both broke out into gales of laughter. Needless to say, they didn't start out very early that day.

* * *

A/N: So, that was it this time. It seemed a lot longer in my notebook... and half the stuff that was in here wasn't even in my notebook... -glares at more stuff fitting on page- Oh well, I can't change length. I hope you enjoyed it. 


End file.
